Gloves for baseball and softball (collectively referred to for simplicity as “baseball gloves”) are nearly as old as the game of baseball itself. Nevertheless, many improvements have been made to baseball gloves over the years as the game has become faster and more difficult to play due to technological advances in the construction of both baseballs and baseball bats. In addition, the increase in fitness, size, and strength of today's players also makes fielding a baseball more challenging. Therefore, baseball glove technology continues to advance to keep pace with other baseball improvements.
Some of the obvious changes that have occurred over the years in the design of baseball gloves include the differences between gloves used by catchers, first basemen, and gloves worn by the rest of the players. As understood by those skilled in the art, a catcher's glove is much different in shape and purpose than gloves used for any other positions on the field. As the game has further developed, there are specialty gloves for a number of different positions: catcher, first baseman, infield, pitcher, and outfield. However, most baseball gloves (except possibly a catcher's glove) could be used today by the weekend warrior at any position.
One of the developments over the years has been the design of many fielding gloves with an external hole for a player's index finger. Over the years, players discovered that impact force on the hand can be reduced by placing the index finger outside of the glove, rather than in a finger stall. In addition, placing the index finger behind the glove offers some players better control of their gloves. Accordingly, many of today's baseball gloves are specifically designed with a hole in the back to accommodate a player's index finger. However, at a top of the hole designed to accommodate a player's index finger is a binding. The inside knuckle or base of a player's index finger normally lies across the binding, which can be quite uncomfortable. Further, the back of most baseball gloves is usually smooth leather, and does not provide much traction or grip to the index finger. A player's index finger may slip and slide across the back of the typical baseball glove and reduce or eliminate the extra control the player is seeking.
In addition, a constant for ball gloves has always been the thumb loop. All conventional baseball gloves have a thumb loop. Some thumb loops are adjustable and generally the thumb loop is used to place the thumb in the glove in a general orientation instead of just floating around inside of the glove. Yet conventional gloves do not have an independent channel for a thumb. Thumb loops add weight to the glove, and some players find themselves fighting the confines of the loop as they use the glove. Thumb loops are uncomfortable for many players.
Moreover, as mentioned above, today's baseball and softball games are characterized by fast play and high ball speeds. Conventional ball gloves, however, are sometimes heavy. The heavier the glove, the more difficult and time consuming it is to maneuver the glove into the desired fielding position. Some users often have difficulty handling conventional gloves because of their weights. There is a constant demand for lighter and lighter gloves.
The present invention is directed to solving, or at least reducing the effect of, one or more of the problems recited above.